Cold and Flu Season Arsenal

Since I have been feeling under the weather today I thought I would post about my cold and flu season arsenal.

This is not my arsenal in full...There are other things too...but lets talk about the basics...
As soon as I either get stressed out or the weather starts shifting or people around me get sick I start in with the Echinacea...

My favorite would be the tincture they make at Castle Remedies in Ann Arbor because it's so fresh and freshness is the key with herbals and homeopathics. You can mix this in some orange juice or anything you want really. It is an amazing Immune booster!
EmergenC is also a godsend for an energy and immune boost. I swear by that stuff.

Now, when I absolutely feel a cold coming, you know that Oh My God moment when you wake up in the morning and you know you are doomed from this moment forward to suffer the effects of a cold? Well there are still a few things you can do to avoid the ick.  You have to act fast though...

Start with...
Aconite, I will blog later in more detail about homeopathics, but the short story is they are amazing and wont interfere with any other medications you might be taking, they wont cause side effects (except to maybe make you feel worse for a moment, but if that happens it means your immune system is responding and you are taking the right remedy) They are not like herbals so you can't have an allergic reaction to them...
Now, aconite is a great all around "first sign of a cold" remedy. You can find mass market homeopathics at most health food stores, like Whole Foods and even the little places. Take this as soon as you feel like you are getting a cold.

P.S. You don't need any more than a 30c

Next vitamin C! Now would be a good time to mix up one of those EmergenC packets (but remember to wait 30min before and after taking a homeopathic to eat or drink anything) Personally when I know I am getting a cold after I dose myself with Aconite the next thing I run for is and Odwalla C-Monster. Seriously, I have been to the point were I thought there was no turning back, I didn't get to the aconite soon enough and I drank a whole Odwalla C-Monster and BAM cold gone....

And now for another homeopathic, you've probably seen this one at Walgreens! 

I love this stuff, now you have to be careful with combo remedies because some homeopathics don't work well together and will cancel each other out, defeating the entire purpose! But this stuff works great to take the edge off without the funky fog a lot of cold medications leave you with. 

Speaking of mixing things...as a random note, you know how most cold remedies or immune boosters have vitamin C and Zinc? Well C and Zinc cancel each other out, so pic one or the other for your immune booster. 

Drink lots of water and tea, and eat foods rich in vitamins and good stuff. 

Also a day on the couch watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer doesn't hurt either. ;)